


Tomorrow

by Anonymous



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Future, Gen, life goes on - Freeform, there will always be a ladybug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-07 22:50:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11068716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: A peek into a possible future where four old friends with a great secret meet at a Paris cafe.





	Tomorrow

Chloe’s fingers tapped an impatient staccato rhythm against the café table. “She’s late. Again.”

“Calm down,” Alya advised, her eyes never leaving her phone. “It’s Marinette. You know what she’s like. She’ll be here.”

“Eventually.” Chloe rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Late for graduation. Late for her wedding. Her baby was a week late. She’s nothing if not consistent.” She grabbed her tea and sipped at it. “It’s not like I have a lot of free time right now. Sabrina has my schedule so tight I barely have time to breathe. You have no idea what it took to get her to let me leave.”

“We’re all old hands at excuses,” Alya smirked. “What did you tell her?”

“That I had a hot rendezvous with my lover.”

“How did she react to that?” Alya asked, raising an eyebrow.

Chloe sighed heavily. “She said to tell you hello.” That earned her a spit take from Alya as she choked on her tea. “Don’t worry, I think she was joking.” She sighed again. “I swear, had I known how much she’d enjoy ordering me around…”

“You chose to run for mayor,” Alya pointed out. “And be honest, she’s an incredible campaign manager. You’ve said so several times.”

“I know, I know…” Chloe stared out at the scenery, momentarily lost in thought. “Everything seemed so much simpler back then, didn’t it?”

Alya snorted. “Marinette was a ditsy clutz, Adrien was hot, Nino was a dork, I was a nosy know-it-all, and you were a stuck up…” Chloe raised a hand and Alya mercifully let the sentence die. “That was then,” she concluded gently.

“Mmm-hmm.” Chloe’s mind was clearly a million miles away. “Do you ever…think about it?” she finally asked.

“Sometimes,” Alya admitted.

“You know, I think it was the first time that…” She struggled for the words. “It made me grow up,” she finally said. “Did you ever tell Nino?”

“Oh god,” Alya groaned, shaking her head. “THAT was a mistake, let me tell you.”

“What?” Chloe turned toward her confused. “He didn’t like that you were a teammate of Ladybug’s?”

“It wasn’t that,” Alya chuckled. “He wasn’t interested in my heroine identity. Oh no. HE thought Lady Wifi was incredibly hot.”

“You’re kidding,” Chloe gasped, trying to restrain her own laughter.

“I wish,” Alya assured her. “Frankly, I’m stunned he hasn’t asked Marinette to make me an outfit so I could wear it to bed.”

Chloe regarded her sternly. “Please tell me you weren’t going to make him reciprocate.”

“Oh god no! His costume, and I use that term loosely, was utterly hideous.”

“You know, all things considered, Papillion really was a horrible costume designer…and the names he chose for us! ‘Lady Wifi’? ‘The Bubbler’? ‘Antibug’? Oh, please.” They shared a long laugh at the thought, then Chloe fell silent again for a few minutes. “Alya,” she finally said slowly, “do you ever…you know… miss…?”

“No,” Alya said firmly and a little too quickly.

“Me either,” Chloe shot back just as fast. They smiled ruefully at each other as the waitress refilled their cups. “It’s just,” Chloe continued a minute later, “I miss the excitement, the feeling that I could do anything, the freedom…” She snapped back to reality. “I meant to tell you I read your article on the downtown restoration project. Nicely done.”

“Thank you,” Alya said graciously.

“Mind you, you’re completely wrong about it…” Chloe added off-handedly.

“I beg your pardon…” Alya’s eyes narrowed.

“That project is going to bring in hundreds of jobs and completely revitalize the area…”

“It’s going to tear down a dozen historically significant buildings, displace residents who have lived there all their lives…”

“They’re going to get a fair price for their trouble…”

Adrien’s laughter brought the debate to an abrupt halt. “You see, Marinette,” he grinned as he picked up his daughter. “I told you they’d be too busy arguing politics to notice we were running behind.”

 “I did so notice,” Chloe declared. “I was beginning to wonder if something was attacking the city again.”

“Sorry, sorry!” Marinette apologized. “We were halfway here before I realized I’d left the sketches on my desk. I’ve got them now.” She patted her portfolio. “I think you’ll like them.”

“Mommy is silly,” laughed the child.

“Yes, she certainly is. Well, don’t just stand there, Marinette. Sit down and let’s see,” Chloe demanded. “Come here, Adeline.” She held out her arms expectantly. “You can sit on Aunt Chloe’s lap while your mama shows us how she’s going to make me look beautiful for my fundraiser, hmm?”

“Good to see you, Alya,” Adrien smiled as he sat down beside her. “How’s Nino?”

“Doing well,” she nodded. “I’m a little surprised to see you here. I thought you were heading out to Fashion Week?”

“I was able to stay a few more days with my ladies,” he shrugged. “You think I’m going to pass up that opportunity…” He fell abruptly silent as the world around them shuddered violently. Four pairs of eyes locked onto the pillar of smoke drifting into the sky.

“He wouldn’t…not after all this time,” Alya growled.

“It may not be him,” Adrien pointed out. “But still…”

“We need to do something,” Marinette declared.

“No we don’t,” Chloe said, shaking her head. “Look.” High above the rooftops two figures raced toward the scene—one dressed in black with a long tail trailing, and the other covered in red with black polka dots. “It’s being dealt with,” she concluded firmly. “Now where were we…?”

“Guess we’ve been replaced,” Adrien said with a sad smile.

“No,” Alya replied. “We’ve passed the baton. That’s very different.”

“I suppose…” he began, but a sudden burst of black pigtails and giggles landed on his lap. “Papa!” Marinette glanced over at him and blessed him with that smile she saved for only him, then returned her attention to the dress discussion.

“It has its compensations, doesn’t it?” Alya teased.

“Yes, it does,” Adrien agreed, hugging his daughter tightly. “It really does.”


End file.
